As you listen
to Pet Fish Talk, you can also follow
other underlined links to related web pages with pictures, videos, and more
information about the topics being discuss during the show.

This is a large video file that will take some time to load, the faster your internet connection, the less time it will take to load. If you can't see this video, try clicking here.

In the video, shown just above, a pair of Angelfish are spawning in Tom's 55-gallon Angelfish Aquarium. Watch this video as you listen to Tom and Nevin talk about it during this show. As always you are welcome to call during this show and talk about these fish, about your fish, or about anything else fishy.

This young mature male OB Red Zebra now completely dominates Tom's Mbuna Aquarium. He began to ascend the social hierarchy a few weeks ago, and as his stature climbed, his coloration became brighter and more blue. Now he is very dominant, very bright, and very blue. He has been eating the premium food for about 6-months. Tom and Nevin encourage you to call during any show and talk about this fish or about your fish.

These are baby fish that came from the mouth of Tom's Socolofi female. She's a mouthbrooder and picked up the eggs just a second or two after laying them. Then she brooded them in her mouth for about 21-days. At which time Tom very gently removed them. Now in just a few weeks they've grown to be about 1.2-inches long, which is about the same as 3-cm. They're hungry all the time and are growing very fast on the premium flake food. It seems strange they are mottled, like the male shown farther above on this page, which we will talk about during this show. They're in a new 29-gallon aquarium that has just cleared up after a long bloom of cyanobacteria, and we will probably talk about that too. You are always welcome to call and talk about these fish, about cyanobacteria, about premium food, and about anything else fishy.

Robert in New Jersey says, "Protect our Hobby !!"

Hi Tom and Nevin, I just came across this is very important to all us fish keepers and to your business as well. Tell your mom Happy Birthday for me, I hope you all had a very nice birthday celebration for your moms 90th birthday. Support needed to Oppose HR 669, A bill to block the importation of non-native species.

Please be aware that there is a Congressional Hearing happening on April 23, 2009 which pertains largely to our hobby. This hearing is on the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act, HR 669, a bill which wishes to revamp how species are regulated under the Lacey Act. Species not appearing on the “Approved List” could not be imported into the United States; therefore, all unapproved nonnative species could not be moved interstate. In addition, trade in all such unlisted species would
come to a halt – possession would be limited and all breeding would cease. Unless those species are included on the approved list import, export, transport, and breeding would be prohibited. Exceptions are limited and would not be available to pet owners across the nation.

A HEARING has been scheduled for April 23 and the pet industry needs to be heard loud and clear prior to the hearing! The anti-trade elements are hard at work to stop activities involving non-native species.

You can contact members of the subcommittee by emailing or faxing your opposition to HR 669 to their offices in Washington DC urging them to amend the bill. You can also contact district offices to voice your opposition or request a meeting with your Representative. It is also important to organize like-minded people in your district so several of you can visit with your representative at the same time.

Spread the word to fellow hobbyists, friends, family, and like-minded individuals and urge them to respond to this unworkable approach which is an issue for all of us. Call, email, and fax your local newspapers or TV stations. We need to get the word out.

Take the time, show your support, make your voice heard to protect our hobby. Your Friend, Robert in NJ.

Fish in the News from Robert in New Jersey

Hi Tom and Nevin, Here are this week's fish in the news. I would just like to nudge Tom on the size of his new tank into considering a larger size you can get a 240 g that is only a little larger footprint than the one you are going to get now and yet the 24'' wide makes a big difference. The 150 that I have I wish someone had told me about the 240 as I would have purchased that instead of the 150 18" v 24" does make a big difference. just my 2 cents Tom. Your Friend, Robert in NJ.

I would like to apologize for my delinquency in fish in the news, I was very busy.

So, in addition to my regular segment, I have something special this week:

The responsibilities of an Aquarist
By Jourdan E. Cameron

When most people think of responsibility and aquariums, usually they think of remembering to feed the goldfish, or cleaning out their aquarium. This, of course, is the primary responsibility of an aquarist. However, there is yet another job which lies before everyone with or without aquaria: it is a responsibility to their local ecosystem. It is their job to protect it from harm. For an aquarist, however, this also includes keeping your fish where they belong- in your aquarium! by releasing your fish because your aquarium was perhaps too small, you are doing a disservice to:

A. Your fish, because they may not survive, but if they do,

B. Your local ecosystem, because if the fish survive, they are capable of wreaking havoc, and

C. Aquarists worldwide, because by letting your fish go, aquarists who are responsible end up taking the blame, and sometimes suffer the consequence of never being able to keep that fish as a result of it's being banned.

What steps can you take to prevent this? The first is to educate yourself on a species you intend to keep, for example, something as a goldfish. Most people know that they can be purchased for cheap, however, few people actually understand their requirements, such as a relatively large aquarium. By learning about what is necessary for your fish, you are taking the right path, and by following through with their needs, your fish will, as a result, thrive. However, by purchasing fish without understanding their needs, you harm the fish, because they end up unhealthy from something missing, you harm your wallet, because you may soon require a larger aquarium, and if you do something such as letting your fish go, you hurt the environment.

Another way to uphold your duties is that while you are already being responsible care for your fish, you don't accidentally release something from your aquarium For example, during water changes, people have been known to find that they nearly "threw out the baby with the bathwater" when they discovered that their fish had young, and that they were in the bucket of water they were about to throw away. To stop this from happening, after changing your water, let the debris settle in the bucket you are using, this way, you can see if anything is darting around in the bucket, and use the water for your plants, since it is full of valuable nutrients you wouldn't want to throw down the drain (not unless, of course, you have a marine aquarium) and be wary of letting snails go! Though they might not seem as if they will affect the environment, they may. I, the author, once introduced the small, brown snails into my aquarium, and they quickly multiplied. Later, though, I introduced larger grey mystery snails, which where just as docile as the other snails, but because of their size, were able to obtain food much more quickly, and soon, the smaller snails almost vanished. Your introducing a species may have untold effects, and though the species may not harm native species directly, it most certainly might be capable of eliminating important sources of food!

A third way of responsibility falls on another type of aquarist. This aquarist, however, holds one of the largest responsibilities of all: it is the pet shop owner. The person who owns a store that sells fish is the bearer of quite a load: this person must ensure that his or her livestock is going to receive proper care, and also must make a point of educating the consumer. If such is not done, why, the owner of the store may be held accountable for the trouble caused by the fish he or she sold! This is a massive responsibility. Really, in the end, being responsible falls upon various shoulders. Can it be done? Yes. Will it be done? That is up to you.

Now, here's the mystery fish clue (the photo is public domain):
This highly unusual fish is usually found in rather deep water, and is a highly predatory species. It 'walks' across the ocean floor sometimes. What is it?

The Fight for an Innocent Pet http://www.syracuse.com/ ... coll=1
About the above story: I think that this case is being taken improperly, because considering the age of the fish, the man caring for him/her is evidently very responsible. Snakeheads have been demonized in recent years, and even though they're capable of harming an ecosystem that isn't theirs, this fish, firstly, would not survive, and second, is not capable of causing any damage at all unless released!

Ken in
Atlanta calls and
says he's
been
listening to
Pet Fish
Talk on CDs
in his car.
Then Ken
says was
able to
spawn
Ancistrus
Bushymouth
Plecostomus
Catfish
after
listening to
the Pet Fish
Talk
interview
with Chris
in Australia
about
breeding
Ancistrus.
Finally Ken
really gets
into sharing
what he's
learned
about
keeping
planted
aquariums,
including
easy plants
to keep,
adding
calcium to
his heavily
planted
aquariums,
about good
lighting for
plants,
about
gravel,
additives,
ppdd, and
good fish
for planted
aquarium.
All very
interesting,
helpful, and
not too
complicated.

The Bailey Brothers
encourage YOU to call Pet Fish Talk
during the show and talk about your pet fish.

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